The BJP had no option but to get Jagdeep Dhankhar out of its way for the sake of the Modi government's stability, reveals Sheela Bhatt, the legendary political journalist.
The matter would be heard by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih.
A three-member panel led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has been formed to probe the discovery of "four to five semi-burnt sacks" of Indian currency notes found after a fire at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma. The incident, which occurred on March 14, has triggered an in-house inquiry, with the findings determining the judge's fate. The panel, consisting of Chief Justices Sheel Nagu (Punjab and Haryana), G S Sandhawalia (Himachal Pradesh), and Karnataka High Court judge Anu Sivaraman, will conduct a "deeper probe" into the allegations. Justice Varma has denied any knowledge of the cash being stored in the storeroom. The inquiry follows the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya's report that recommended a deeper investigation. The top court's 2014 guidelines for in-house procedures for probing allegations against judges will be followed during the inquiry. The panel's findings could lead to either the removal of the judge, if the misconduct is deemed serious, or a reprimand. The inquiry will also determine if the fire was indeed a short-circuit as initially reported.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear next week a plea which flagged Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey's recent criticism of the apex court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, and sought removal of derogatory videos from social media platforms.
The Collegium had proposed Justice Singh's transfer on August 3 for "better administration of justice".
The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a reply from the Lok Sabha secretary general on Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra's plea challenging her expulsion from the Lower House.
'There are many smaller parties, which in the age of ballot paper, might not have come into existence'
Ishaan P Zore doesn't think Vicky Kaushal's persona quite matches Chhatrapati Sambhaji's iconic figure.
The ED had arrested Kejriwal on March 21, hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency.
Pronouncing the judgement, Justice Khanna said the court has rejected all the petitions, including those seeking resorting back to ballot papers in elections.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta posed the question to former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy and lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who sought deletion of the words "Socialist" and "Secular" from the Preamble of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court collegium has initiated an initial inquiry against Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma following the alleged discovery of a large stash of cash at his official residence during a fire incident. The collegium has also reportedly recommended Justice Varma's transfer to his parent high court, the Allahabad High Court. The inquiry will involve seeking a report from the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on the incident. The controversy surrounding the alleged discovery of cash was first reported by The Times of India. Justice Varma's proposed transfer is subject to the Centre's approval. The amount of cash found is not yet known. Justice Varma, currently heading a division bench dealing with sales tax, GST, company appeals and other appeals, did not hold court on Friday. Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya expressed shock over the incident. The collegium reportedly received information about the cash discovery from government officials. Some collegium members have called for stricter action against Justice Varma, including seeking his resignation or launching an in-house inquiry. The Supreme Court has an in-house inquiry mechanism to deal with allegations against judges, which involves forming a committee to investigate and, based on the report, take further action. A judge of a constitutional court can only be removed through impeachment by Parliament.
The Supreme Court on Friday observed the 1976 amendment to the Constitution adding terms 'socialist', 'secular' and 'integrity' to the Preamble underwent judicial reviews and it cannot say whatever Parliament did during the emergency period was all nullity.
The Supreme Court of India has rejected a plea by a woman claiming to be the legal heir of the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar-II, seeking possession of the Red Fort in Delhi. The court termed the plea as "misconceived" and "meritless", dismissing the petition against the Delhi High Court order. The petitioner, Sultana Begum, argued that her family was deprived of the Red Fort by the British East India Company after the first war of Independence in 1857. The court, however, dismissed the petition, citing the delay in filing the appeal and the lack of justification for the claim.
Justice Gavai's comment came while the apex court bench, also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, was considering a fresh plea seeking an inquiry into the recent violence in West Bengal during anti-Waqf law protests.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will not restrain the trial court from dealing with a plea seeking police custody of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu as it announced a new bench will hear his petition for quashing the FIR in the alleged Rs 371 crore scam in the state's Skill Development Corporation on October 3.
The Supreme Court of India dismissed a plea seeking a directive for 100% manual counting of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips in addition to electronic counting. The court cited its previous rulings on the safety and security of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and stated that the issue was not open for reconsideration. The plea argued for a modified VVPAT system where voters could verify printed ballots before leaving the polling station, and for 100% manual counting of VVPAT slips. The court upheld the Delhi High Court's decision dismissing the plea, referring to previous Supreme Court judgments on the matter.
The Supreme Court of India has released an inquiry report into the alleged discovery of a large amount of cash at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma. The report, which includes photos and videos, was uploaded on the court's website. Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has formed an in-house committee to investigate the matter and has asked the Delhi High Court Chief Justice to not assign any judicial work to Justice Varma. Justice Varma has denied the allegations, claiming they are part of a conspiracy to frame him. The inquiry report, submitted by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice, has been made public and calls for a deeper probe into the incident. The incident has raised concerns about judicial accountability and has prompted the Congress party to call for strong measures to uphold public trust in the judiciary.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday took exception to the Allahabad high court's recent remarks in a rape case as reportedly saying the complainant "herself invited trouble", and wondered why it made such observations while deciding a bail plea.
The Supreme Court addressed concerns about misinformation spreading related to an incident involving Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma. The court clarified that the proposal to transfer Justice Varma to Allahabad High Court was independent of an internal investigation into the discovery of a large sum of cash at his residence following a fire. The Delhi High Court Chief Justice is conducting the investigation and will submit a report to the Chief Justice of India today.
The Supreme Court of India has decided to issue a showcause notice to senior advocate Rishi Malhotra, asking why the designation conferred upon him by the apex court should not be revoked. The decision comes in the wake of allegations of misconduct against Malhotra, including suppressing material facts in multiple cases and making misleading statements despite warnings from the court. The full court, convened by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, has decided to give Malhotra one more opportunity to explain his conduct before stripping him of the senior designation. The court has expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the senior designation system and whether it ensures that only deserving advocates are being designated.
The Supreme Court of India questioned whether former JNU student Sharjeel Imam can be prosecuted in multiple states for sedition based on a single speech. The court is considering a plea to club multiple FIRs filed against Imam in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh for his alleged inflammatory remarks during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The court is concerned about the potential for double jeopardy and has indicated that it may transfer the cases to Delhi.
A Supreme Court lawyer has written to the Attorney General seeking consent to initiate contempt proceedings against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for his "grossly scandalous" remarks against the court. Dubey had criticized the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna following the Centre's assurance that it would not implement some of the contentious provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The BJP has distanced itself from Dubey's comments, calling them his personal views.
Legal experts have lauded Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna's decision to make public crucial documents related to a controversy surrounding the alleged discovery of cash from Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma's residence. They also welcomed the formation of an in-house committee to further investigate the matter. While some expressed concerns about the incident's impact on the judiciary's image, others emphasized the need for transparency and a fair inquiry. The Supreme Court released the inquiry report by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya, which included photos and videos of the alleged cash discovery. Justice Varma has denied the allegations, calling them a "conspiracy to frame and malign him."
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has ordered an in-house inquiry into allegations against a Delhi High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma, after reports of burnt cash being found at his residence. The inquiry will be conducted by a three-member committee headed by Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The allegations stem from a report by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who stated that four to five semi-burnt sacks of Indian currency notes were found at Justice Varma's residence following a fire. Justice Varma has strongly denied the allegations, calling them a conspiracy to frame him.
Seventeen years after the cash-at-judge's door case rocked the judiciary, a special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Chandigarh on Saturday acquitted former Punjab and Haryana high court judge Nirmal Yadav and four others in the matter.
A plea in the Supreme Court of India seeks a direction to Delhi Police to lodge an FIR over the alleged discovery of semi-burnt stash of cash from the official residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma. The plea challenges a 1991 judgement that prohibits criminal proceedings against judges without prior consent from the Chief Justice of India, arguing it violates the principle of equality before the law. It also seeks to declare the collegium's 3-member committee investigating the incident as having no jurisdiction and calls for action against corruption within the judiciary.
Allahabad High Court judge Justice Shekhar Yadav, who was embroiled in controversy for his speech at a VHP event in December, has opted out of a seminar on the Ram temple movement in the Kumbh Mela area on January 22. Yadav was scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the seminar, which is being held to mark the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla in the Ayodhya temple.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the district magistrates and superintendents of police of Maharashtra's Yavatmal and Chhattisgarh's Raipur to ensure no hate speeches are made at rallies being held by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and Telangana BJP legislator T Raja Singh over the next one week in their respective jurisdictions.
The Supreme Court on Thursday steered clear of the political talk about it having made an exception for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in granting him interim bail for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls but said 'critical analysis of the judgment is welcome'.
The Supreme Court asserted on Friday that action must be taken against all those making hate speeches "this side or that side".
While India today is vastly different from the India of 1975, the need for vigilance against authoritarianism remains the same, asserts Utkarsh Mishra.
Podcaster Allahbadia's remarks on parents and sex on comedian Samay Raina's YouTube show India's Got Latent triggered a controversy and several FIRs have been lodged against him and others in various parts of the country.
Writing his views in a separate verdict while concurring with the opinion of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who was heading the bench, Justice Datta said the question of reverting to "paper ballot system", on facts and in the circumstances, does not and cannot arise.
Underscoring the importance of voter satisfaction and trust in the electoral system, the Supreme Court on Thursday told petitioners who sought its direction to go back to using ballot papers not to suspect the efficacy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and appreciate if the Election Commission does good work.
The Supreme Court of India has sharply criticized the Uttar Pradesh police for filing FIRs in civil cases, stating there is a "complete breakdown of rule of law" in the state. The court expressed its displeasure after discovering FIRs filed by the UP police in civil disputes, questioning the use of criminal law in such matters. The Chief Justice highlighted the absurdity of converting civil disputes into criminal cases, emphasizing that non-payment of money cannot be considered a criminal offense. The bench has summoned the investigating officer to justify the registration of an FIR in a specific case, and has stayed criminal proceedings against the accused while allowing the cheque bounce case to continue.
The law prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.
To enhance transparency and verifiability in the poll process, the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 were amended in 2013 to introduce the use of VVPAT machines. They were first used in the by-election to the Noksen assembly seat in Nagaland.
The Supreme Court on Monday said the trial of the Manipur ethnic violence cases, probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, would be conducted in Guwahati, Assam, where it was transferred to earlier.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday expunged the observations made by a single judge bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court against the apex court in a contempt case, saying they were "scandalous" and "unwarranted".
